Sunday Smiles Halloween Week

I am sure that many of you have had a happy week filled with
all sorts of Halloween Fun.

We surely have.

I couldn't call this post my Sunday Six Smiles because I have had way more than six reasons to smile.

In fact my smiles were far bigger than those found on our Jack-o-Lanterns
(Speaking of Jack-o-Lanterns, my friend Kris has written a beautiful story about how making the Jack-o-Lantern is similar to the way God works with us. It is a lovely story. Go to her blog and read it for yourself.

Halloween is my Claire Bear's birthday.

It is always fun celebrating with my little Pumpkin.

(My nickname for Claire became Pumpkin when she made her

unexpected arrival on Halloween night 8 years ago.)

She always has lots of interesting friends show up to celebrate with her.

Here, her brother Mario, helps her blow out her candles.
Having a Halloween birthday is loads of fun....
but then I guess a birthday is always loads of fun

no matter what day it comes.

Last week my daughter Mindy and my grandson, E.J. also had birthdays.

E.J. had a lot fun playing guitar on his cousin Jalen's Guitar Hero game while we were in Utah.

All the way driving back home to California, he kept telling us that Guitar Hero is all he wanted for his birthday.
He got his wish and his house has been rocking every since.

My birthday girl, Mindy, Austin and Claire have also been rocking all week.

Any of you that read my blog know how much our family enjoys karaoke singing.

We never get together for very long before the karaoke starts....

...now it is even more fun with the guitar and drums accompaniment.
...
I liked Halloween and the fall season as a child....

...however, it is much more fun now that I have 1 daughter and 4 grandchildren that were born between October 1 and Nov. 2nd....
and they all are so darn cute!!! (Not that I am prejudice!)

Wait a minute....where is E.J?

Oh...there he is...

He decided to be spooky this year but he doesn't seem to scare Sailor girl or Mario.
...
Of course picture taking on Halloween is the first order of business.

Mario poses for Mindy one last time before running off to the neighborhood block party.
...
Block Halloween pot lucks make me smile.
We enjoy gathering with Mindy's neighbors for a good dinner before passing out the candy.

Getting together with neighbors makes Halloween night even more fun.

After dinner we all sit together and visit while we pass out the candy.

It makes it more fun for the adults and the kids don't have to go door to door to

trick or treat.

Little spooks just come to the end of the cul-de-sac and collect their loot from each of us there.
...
We also had fun last Friday night at our church Trunk-or- Treat party.

We all enjoyed the defferent kinds of chili, hot dogs and salads...

But....most of all....

We enjoyed the association with good friends.
....
There are so many fun fall activities.
We started the fun stuff while we were in Utah for Calan's adoption

two weeks ago with all of our kids and grandkids.

Lynell was in charge of making caramel apples.

It was fun making them and even more fun eating them.

Erin and Patrick were in charge of carving the pumpkins.

Everyone helped out....we made quite a mess...but we were all having fun.

It was great that David and his family were there with us.
They live far away and we don't get to see them that often.

However, this is the second year in a row that we got to carve pumpkins together.

Last year we went to Kentucky to celebrate Emma's 8th birthday with her.
Emma's birthday is Nov. 2nd but we were there for Halloween too.

For both years we had more smiles than we could count.

Our Happy Halloween is over now.

October was a magical month for us.

We were all together as a family.

We celebrated 4 family birthdays.

We officially adopted little Calan and had him sealed to our family.

We were truly blessed.

We were all smiles...all month.

We are very thankful.

...
I hope that you all had a happy month too.

Tell me about your Halloween activities.

Have a great week ahead...

...and happy birthday #9 tomorrow sweet Emma.
Love, Grammy Lura

p.s. I'm thinking of you dear Marie. I am glad that we could visit on the phone for a little while after church today. I hope that you will find your sweet smiles again soon. XOXO